General Pest 2

There are over 2,000 described species of fleas. The most common domestic flea is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. The adult cat flea, unlike many other fleas, remains on the host. Adults require a fresh blood meal in order to reproduce. The dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis, appears similar to the cat flea, but is rarely found in the United States. Cat fleas are commonly found on both cats and dogs in North America, while dog fleas are found in Europe. The two species are distinguished by a slight morphological difference which is detectable only under high magnification.

Adults are stimulated to emerge by vibration or an increase in carbon dioxide. They are about one to three mm in size, reddish-brown to black in color, wingless, and are laterally compressed. They possess powerful hind legs which allow for running and jumping through hair, fur, and feathers. Adult cat fleas require fresh blood to produce eggs. This is the only stage in the cat flea life cycle when the fleas live on the pet. Adults live four to 25 days.

Cat fleas are capable of transmitting plague and murine typhus to humans, though such reports are rare. There are also varied allergic responses to their bites, depending upon the sensitivity of the host. Cat fleas serve as the intermediate host to an intestinal parasite, the dog tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum), which is transmitted to the pet when a flea carrying a tapeworm cyst is ingested. Mostly, fleas simply act as a nuisance, since they feed on any warm-blooded animal. A common problem for the host is flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), which pet owners in the United States annually spend millions of dollars to treat. An estimated $2.8 billion is spent annually on flea-related veterinarian bills. Pet owners spend an estimated $1.6 billion annually for flea treatment through groomers, $4 billion for over the counter treatments, and $348 million professional flea control.

In order to effectively control an infestation, fleas must be removed from the pet, the home, and the yard. Removal of fleas from the animal alone is futile. Immature fleas which have developed into adults off the animal simply jump on, causing subsequent reinfestation. Flea combs may be used to treat the pet, yet they only remove ten to sixty percent of the fleas. By shampooing the animal, the dried blood and skin flakes which provide food for the larvae are removed.